Unraveling the Intrinsic Origin of the Superior Sodium-Ion Storage Performance of Metal Selenides Anode in Ether-Based Electrolytes.

Metal selenides show outstanding sodium-ion storage performance when matched with an ether-based electrolyte. However, the intrinsic origin of improvement and deterministic interface characteristics have not been systematically elucidated. Herein, employing FeSe2 anode as the model system, the electrochemical kinetics of metal selenides in ether and ester-based electrolytes and associated solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) are investigated in detail. Based on the galvanostatic intermittent titration technique and in situ electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, it is found that the ether-based electrolyte can ensure fast Na+ transfer and low interface impedance. Additionally, the ether-derived thin and smooth double-layer SEI, which is critical in facilitating ion transport, maintaining structural stability, and inhibiting electrolyte overdecomposition, is concretely visualized by transmission electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, and depth-profiling X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. This work provides a deep understanding of the optimization mechanism of electrolytes, which can guide available inspiration for the design of practical electrode materials.

Microbiological isolates and associated complications of dacryocystitis and canaliculitis in a prominent tertiary ophthalmic teaching hospital in northern China.

BACKGROUND: To report the microbiological isolates, aetiology, complications, antibiotic susceptibilities, and clinical remission of dacryocystitis and canaliculitis in a prominent tertiary ophthalmic teaching and referral hospital located in northern China and to offer appropriate recommendations for preventing and formulating drug treatment strategies. METHODS: This prospective study recruited a total of 477 participants who had been diagnosed with either dacryocystitis or canaliculitis. The cohort comprised 307 patients with chronic dacryocystitis, 111 patients with acute dacryocystitis, and 59 patients with canaliculitis. Purulent discharge from the lacrimal duct was collected using a sterile swab and immediately subjected to microbial culture. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was conducted following established protocols. All participants were scheduled for follow-up visits within 14 days after receiving antibiotic therapy. RESULTS: The present findings indicated that women exhibited a higher susceptibility to the condition, as evidenced by the occurrence of 367 cases in comparison to 110 cases among men. Among the 477 patients, definitive causes were established in 59 individuals, accounting for 12.4% of the patients. Additionally, ocular complications were reported by 132 patients, representing 27.7% of the total. Monocular involvement was observed in the majority of cases, with 402 out of 477 patients (84.3%) affected, while binocular involvement was present in 75 patients (15.7%). In total, 506 microbiological strains were recovered from 552 eyes, with Staphylococcus epidermidis (16.4%) being the most prevalent microorganism. Other predominant isolates included Corynebacterium macginleyi (9.1%), Staphylococcus aureus (5.1%), Streptococcus pneumoniae (4.9%), Haemophilus (4.4%), Propionibacterium acnes (3.5%), and Eikenella corrodens (3.1%). Among the 12 isolated fungi, Candida parapsilosis accounted for 66.7%. The susceptibility to antimicrobial agents tested in gram-negative bacilli (79.5%) was observed to be higher than that of anaerobic bacteria (76.7%) and gram-positive cocci (55.4%). With pharmacological therapy, the remission rate of acute dacryocystitis (72.7%) was found to be higher than that of canaliculitis (53.3%) and chronic dacryocystitis (42.3%). CONCLUSIONS: This study highlights the microbial spectrum of dacryocystitis and canaliculitis, particularly C.macginleyi, E.corrodens and C.parapsilosis, which are also more frequently isolated. Vancomycin and imipenem may be more effective treatment options. Most cases have an unknown aetiology, and essential preventive measures involve postoperative cleansing of the lacrimal passage following eye and nasal surgeries, as well as the proactive management of rhinitis.

Direct de/carboxylation of cannabidiolic acid (CBDA) and cannabidiol (CBD) from hemp plant material under supercritical CO2.

Many organic reactions rely on CO2 sources to generate important structural units and valuable chemicals. In this study, we compared the effects of cannabidiol (CBD) and cannabidiolic acid (CBDA) on the supercritical CO2 (scCO2)-induced de/carboxylation reaction. The results showed that CBD was directly carboxylated in the ortho-position to form CBDA with up to 62% conversion. Meanwhile, CBDA decarboxylation occurred on hemp plant material via varying composition. Mechanistic studies revealed that CBD carboxylation was influenced not only by the physical properties of scCO2, but also by the vegetable matrix.

A Novel Strategy for Topical Administration by Combining Chitosan Hydrogel Beads with Nanostructured Lipid Carriers: Preparation, Characterization, and Evaluation.

The objective of the present study was to develop and evaluate NLC-chitosan hydrogel beads for topical administration. The feasibility of the preparation technology was verified by investigating various formulation factors and the impact of chitosan hydrogel beads on the NLC. The encapsulation efficiency of NLC-chitosan hydrogel beads was above 95% in optimized process conditions. The physical characterization of the NLC-chitosan hydrogel beads showed that the NLC was distributed within the network of the chitosan hydrogel beads. Furthermore, the incorporation of NLC into the chitosan hydrogel beads was related to the electrostatic interaction between the surface of the NLC and chitosan, which influenced the lipid ordering degree of the NLC and contributed to the stability. The stability studies showed that the retention rate of quercetin in the NLC-chitosan hydrogel beads was 88.63 ± 2.57% after 10 months of storage under natural daylight. An in vitro permeation study showed that NLC-chitosan hydrogel beads exhibited superior ability in enhancing skin permeation by hydrophobic active ingredients compared to the NLC and significantly increased skin accumulation. These studies demonstrated that the use of NLC-chitosan hydrogel beads might be a promising strategy for the delivery of hydrophobic active ingredients in topical administration.

Single-atom Zr-doped CoOOH with enhanced electrical conductivity as a signal amplifier and detection probe for the indirect non-enzymatic electrochemical determination of malathion in foods.

Herein, a novel electrochemical sensor based on zirconium-doped cobalt oxyhydroxide (ZrCoOOH) was proposed for highly sensitive non-enzymatic determination of malathion (MAL). The doping of Zr can improve the electrical conductivity of CoOOH, of which the transfer resistance was reduced from 241.1 Ω to 140.2 Ω. Furthermore, the X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy confirmed that part of Co2+ was converted to Co3+ due to the introduction of Zr. The Co3+ in ZrCoOOH could react with MAL to form Co2+, which enhanced the electrooxidation current of Co2+. Therefore, the peak current of Co2+ was served as detection probe for MAL. Under optimal conditions, the developed sensor established the linear relationship for MAL in the concentration range of 0.001-10.0 µM with a low limit of detection (0.64 nM). The constructed sensor was employed to detect MAL in food samples (peach, kiwi fruit, spinach and tomato), verifying the accuracy and practicability of the sensor.

Development of a Monoclonal Antibody-Based Indirect Competitive Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay for the Rapid Detection of Gallic Acid.

Gallic acid (GA) is closely related to the quality of herbal medicines and other agricultural products. In order to facilitate the rapid detection of GA, we developed a monoclonal antibody-based ic-ELISA method. Antigens with and without connecting arms were prepared. It was found that the introduction of connecting arms (linear carbon chain) was beneficial for immune response. By utilizing hybridoma technology, a specific mAb (anti-GA-M702) was screened and identified, which exhibited a 1:40,500 antibody titer and IgG2b antibody subtype. The ic-ELISA assay was established based on anti-GA-M702. The optimal working concentrations of the encapsulated antigen and antibody were 0.5 µg/mL and 0.67 µg/mL, respectively. The ic-ELISA method showed a linear detection range of 297.17-2426.61 ng/mL for GA with a sensitivity of 849.18 ng/mL. It displayed a good applicability for the determination of GA in Galla chinensis. In conclusion, the ic-ELISA method provides an efficient approach to the rapid detection of GA in products.

Enhancing the Gelation Behavior of Transglutaminase-Induced Soy Protein Isolate(SPI) through Ultrasound-Assisted Extraction.

Gelation, as an important functional property of soy protein isolate (SPI), can be improved by some green technologies in food manufacturing, including ultrasound, ultrahigh pressure and microwave treatments. This work investigated the effect of an alkaline solubilisation step in SPI extraction combined with sonication on protein properties. The TGase-induced gel of the modified SPI was prepared to explore the effect of ultrasound on gel properties, including structures, strength, water-holding capacity and rheological properties. Additionally, the differences between traditional ultrasound modification of SPI and current modification methods were analyzed. The results showed that the ultrasonication-assisted extraction method could result in a significant increase in extraction rate from 24.68% to 42.25%. Moreover, ultrasound-assisted modification of SPI gels induced with transglutaminase (TGase) exhibited significant improvement in mechanical properties, such as texture, water-holding capacity and rheological properties, In particular, SPI extracted at 400 W ultrasound intensity for 180 s showed the best overall performance in terms of gel properties. Our method efficiently uniformizes gel structure, enhancing mechanical properties compared to conventional ultrasound methods, which reduced energy consumption and costs. These findings provide insights into the production of high-gelation SPI in food manufacturing.

Ultrasensitive SERS aptasensor using Au@Ag bimetallic nanorod SERS tags for the selective detection of amantadine in foods.

Herein, a novel surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) aptasensor was developed for amantadine (AMD) detection, based on magnetite nanoparticles coated with polyethylenimine, silver nanoclusters and aptamers (Fe3O4@PEI@AgNC-apt) as the capture probe and complementary DNA-modified gold nanorods (AuNRs@4-MPBA@Ag-c-DNA containing 4-mercaptophenylboric acid molecules) as the reporter probe. In the presence of AMD, the AMD and the reporter probe competed for the aptamer on the surface of the capture probe, resulting in the reporter probe detaching from the capture probe leading to a decrease in intensity of the SERS signal at 1067 cm-1 for 4-MPBA. Under optimal conditions, a good linear relationship was established between the SERS intensity at 1067 cm-1 and the logarithm of the AMD concentration over the range 10-6-102 mg L-1, with a LOD of 0.50 × 10-6 mg L-1. The AMD levels in spiked samples were evaluated using the SERS aptasensor, with good recoveries ranging from 90.57% to 113.49% being obtained.

Active Packaging Film Developed by Incorporating Starch Aldehyde-Quercetin Conjugate into SPI Matrix.

In this study, soy protein isolate (SPI) films incorporating quercetin-grafted dialdehyde starch (DAS-QR) and DAS/QR, respectively, were developed. The structural, physical, and functional properties of the composite films were determined. The results suggested that DAS-QR and DAS/QR formed hydrogen bonding with the SPI matrix, which improved the structural properties of the films. The light-blocking capacity, thermal stability, hydrophobicity, tensile strength, elongation at break, and antioxidant and antibacterial abilities of SPI films were improved by DAS-QR and DAS/QR. Notably, SPI films incorporated with DAS-QR exhibited better performance than those with DAS/QR in terms of antioxidant (SPI/DAS-QR: 79.8% of DPPH and 62.1% of ABTS scavenging activity; SPI/DAS/QR: 71.4% of DPPH and 56.0% of ABTS scavenging activity) and antibacterial abilities against S. aureus (inhibition rate: 92.7% for SPI/DAS-QR, 83.4% for SPI/DAS/QR). The composite coating film SPI/DAS-QR effectively maintained appearance quality, delayed the loss of weight and total soluble solids, postponed malondialdehyde accumulation, and decreased peroxidase activity and microbial contamination in fresh-cut potatoes. These good performances highlight SPI/DAS-QR as a promising active packaging material for fresh-cut product preservation.

Enhancement of the Physical and Functional Properties of Chitosan Films by Incorporating Galla chinensis Extract.

Composite films based on chitosan (CS) incorporating Galla chinensis extract (GCNE) at different CS/GCNE weight ratios, which are both biodegradable and multifunctional, were fabricated using the solution-casting method. The FTIR analyses indicated that a good interaction was presented among the GCNE and CS through an intermolecular hydrogen bond. The incorporation of the GCNE improved the films' elongation at break, UV-light blocking, and decreased the moisture regain (from 16.68% to 10.69%) and water absorption (from 80.65% to 54.74%). Moreover, the CS/GCNE films exhibited a strong antioxidant activity (from 57.11% to 70.37% of DPPH and from 35.53% to 46.73% of ABTS scavenging activities) mainly due to the high content of phenolic compounds in the incorporated GCNE. The CS/GCNE film-forming solution coatings demonstrated their effectiveness in preserving the quality of postharvest mangoes, specifically by minimizing the change in the firmness, weight loss, titratable acidity, and total phenolic and ascorbic acids. These findings suggest that the multifunctional composite films possess a high application potential to preserve postharvest fruits.

Development of ZrO(OH)2@HCS co-modified molecularly imprinted gel-based electrochemical sensing platform for sensitive and selective detection of tert-butylhydroquinone in foods.

Herein, a novel molecularly imprinted gel (MIG)-based electrochemical sensor equipped with hydrated zirconium oxide@hollow carbon spheres (ZrO(OH)2@HCS) was developed for highly sensitive and selective detection of tert-butylhydroquinone (TBHQ) in foods. The MIG was synthesized by using L-histidine to rapidly cross-link cationic guar gum, acrylamide and TBHQ through intermolecular hydrogen bonds and electrostatic interactions at room temperature, which offered outstanding specific recognition performance for TBHQ. ZrO(OH)2@HCS possessing excellent conductivity and water dispersibility was employed for signal amplification. Under optimal conditions, the MIG-ZrO(OH)2@HCS/GCE sensor showed a wide dynamic detection range (0.025-100 µM) with a low limit of detection (6.7 nM). TBHQ recovery experiments were conducted in spiked peanut oil and milk powder, yielding excellent recoveries. Moreover, the sensor was successfully utilized to detect TBHQ levels in snowflake chicken cutlets, crispy fried pork and boneless chicken fillets, and the results were in agreement with those obtained by the high performance liquid chromatography method.

Predicting Risk Stratification in Early-Stage Endometrial Carcinoma: Significance of Multiparametric MRI Radiomics Model.

Endometrial carcinoma (EC) risk stratification prior to surgery is crucial for clinical treatment. In this study, we intend to evaluate the predictive value of radiomics models based on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for risk stratification and staging of early-stage EC. The study included 155 patients who underwent MRI examinations prior to surgery and were pathologically diagnosed with early-stage EC between January, 2020, and September, 2022. Three-dimensional radiomics features were extracted from segmented tumor images captured by MRI scans (including T2WI, CE-T1WI delayed phase, and ADC), with 1521 features extracted from each of the three modalities. Then, using five-fold cross-validation and a multilayer perceptron algorithm, these features were filtered using Pearson's correlation coefficient to develop a prediction model for risk stratification and staging of EC. The performance of each model was assessed by analyzing ROC curves and calculating the AUC, accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity. In terms of risk stratification, the CE-T1 sequence demonstrated the highest predictive accuracy of 0.858 ± 0.025 and an AUC of 0.878 ± 0.042 among the three sequences. However, combining all three sequences resulted in enhanced predictive accuracy, reaching 0.881 ± 0.040, with a corresponding increase in the AUC to 0.862 ± 0.069. In the context of staging, the utilization of a combination involving T2WI with CE-T1WI led to a notably elevated predictive accuracy of 0.956 ± 0.020, surpassing the accuracy achieved when employing any singular feature. Correspondingly, the AUC was 0.979 ± 0.022. When incorporating all three sequences concurrently, the predictive accuracy reached 0.956 ± 0.000, accompanied by an AUC of 0.986 ± 0.007. It is noteworthy that this level of accuracy surpassed that of the radiologist, which stood at 0.832. The MRI radiomics model has the potential to accurately predict the risk stratification and early staging of EC.

[Adsorption Performance and Mechanism of Oxytetracycline in Water by KOH Modified Biochar Derived from Corn Straw].

The pollution control of tetracycline antibiotics in the environment has become a hot topic, and biochar adsorption has become an important technology to remove organic pollutants. Pyrolytic biochars (BC400, BC500, and BC600) were prepared from corn straw and then were modified by KOH to obtain KBC400, KBC500, and KBC600. Among them, KBC400 was selected for secondary pyrolysis activation at 400-600℃ to obtain AKBC400, AKBC500, and AKBC600. The structure characteristics and surface properties of AKBC were also characterized. The adsorption kinetics and thermodynamic characteristics of oxytetracycline hydrochloride (OTC) in the solution by AKBC were investigated using batch experiments. Compared to that of BC400, the specific surface area and pore structure of AKBC were significantly improved, and the aromaticity was also enhanced, resulting in the notable enhancement of the adsorption capacities for OTC. The pseudo-second-order kinetics model could better fit the adsorption process, and AKBC500 had the largest adsorption rate constant and capacity. Both the intraparticle diffusion and film diffusion were the rate-limiting steps. The Langmuir, Freundlich, and Temkin models could fit the adsorption isotherms perfectly. The adsorption of OTC on AKBC was a spontaneous, endothermic, and entropy-increasing process by both physisorption and chemisorption. The pH values in the range of 3.0-7.0 were favorable for the adsorption of OTC by AKBC. The adsorption capacity decreased with the humic acid concentration over 10 mg·L-1. The adsorption mechanism of OTC by AKBC involved pore filling, hydrogen bonding, π-π conjugation, cation-π bond, and strong electrostatic effect. AKBC still had good reusability for OTC removal after five times of regeneration. The obtained AKBC is a potential adsorbent for OTC removal from water due to the good pore structure, high adsorption capacity, and stable adsorption effect.

Biodegradation characteristics of p-Chloroaniline and the mechanism of co-metabolism with aniline by Pseudomonas sp. CA-1.

Co-metabolism is a promising method to optimize the biodegradation of p-Chloroaniline (PCA). In this study, Pseudomonas sp. CA-1 could reduce 76.57 % of PCA (pH = 8, 70 mg/L), and 20 mg/L aniline as the co-substrate improved the degradation efficiency by 12.50 %. Further, the response and co-metabolism mechanism of CA-1 to PCA were elucidated. The results revealed that PCA caused deformation and damage on the surface of CA-1, and the -OH belonging to polysaccharides and proteins offered adsorption sites for the contact between CA-1 and PCA. Subsequently, PCA entered the cell through transporters and was degraded by various oxidoreductases accompanied by deamination, hydroxylation, and ring-cleavage reactions. Thus, the key metabolite 4-chlorocatechol was identified and two PCA degradation pathways were proposed. Besides, aniline further enhanced the antioxidant capacity of CA-1, stimulated the expression of catechol 2,3-dioxygenase and promoted meta-cleavage efficiency of PCA. The findings provide new insights into the treatment of PCA-aniline co-pollution.